sputnik

Restylane, my First Choice

Juvederm "Okay"

Overrated Product

Not an Easy Recovery by Any Means. Hope the Fat Takes! - Bellevue, WA

Most fat was resorbed by week 6

Love It, but I Get the Lumigan to Save $ - Seattle, WA

One thing I'd like to mention, is how important diet and exercise is after lipo to maintain your good results. I was always a slender person, but now find my body needs less calories to maintain my weight... and the weight wants to return in areas that were never a problem before. Like my upper thighs and arms. Definitely have to work a bit harder now to keep things the way they are!

Swelling can last for several weeks... initially, things look wonderful, then the fluids set in and you look and feel bloated. All normal. Keep the compression garments on and massage daily to keep the lumps and "ropiness" as minimal as possible. Pain wasn't too bad for me after the first week.

In response to your assault on my credibility (and general snarky tone), I'd like to assure you that I don't write for entertainment purposes only.

There are more details of my surgery in another post. I don't post the number of cc's transferred, as so many get transfixed on *numbers* which may work for some, but not another. Yes. I did a good deal of research and interviewed a handful of surgeons before selecting the doctor I eventually used for my procedure. I based this choice on his experience with fat transfers, the high number of patients he had performed it on, and verifiably good results. I had bodyjet lipo, which is regarded as a highly desirable means of extracting fat gently for fat harvest/transfer. Yes again- to preparing the fat correctly for the stem cell transfer. Yes again- to following post-op instructions to a T. Incidentally, my care instructions were much the same as another highly regarded BBL surgeon on this site, Dr. Markman.

As you have said, the BBL procedure *generally* does have a high satifaction rate- but this is not to say it has a 100% satisfaction rate, now is it? The bottom line with ANY surgical procedure is that not everyone gets amazing results. If you've read the other BBL threads, you will see this is true. In another post, I did explain that many months later, some fat did increase in size.

In the future, just asking nicely will do. Thanks.

I followed all the instructions given (post op) re: care. And then some... also, no to Smart Lipo. My surgeon did have many years of experience with fat transfer and yes, was board certified.

Sorry, but your post is offensive due not only to your tone, but the presumption that poor choices were made, proper care procedures not followed and that I fell into the hands of an inept surgeon. The truth is, that there are those who have fantastic results and some who do not.

Not everyone gets fantastic results! My experience is my own and hence, my credibility remains intact. I'm sorry I didn't pound you with enough information in my original post. All one has to do for more details is ask.... not presume.

I didn't have stitches either. They generally don't close liposuction wounds to allow for drainage of fluid and because they are much smaller these days and generally shut on their own. One thing I did do however, was to use small skinny strip bandages on my incisions after drainage was finished, usually a few days later. I wanted my wounds to heal as evenly and flat as possible. Then, about a month later, I started using the scar prevention liquid. It does help.

As for the garment, I've never heard of anyone NOT being told to use it for at least a month. I wore mine for about 2 months 24/7, then periodically after that. When the fat is removed, there is a space that your skin is no longer bound to. For proper shaping and healing, the garment supports your skin until this healing is finished. It definitely keeps the swelling down too, which you'll have for months after the surgery. I believe wearing a compression garment, though hot and itchy, does speed the healing and help with the overall intended result. You paid a lot for your surgery, might as well make sure you do everything to ensure the best result!